Propelling mechanism for air navigators



June' 29 1926. 1,590,735

A. CHIARELLI PROPELLING MECHANISM FOR AIR NAVIGATORS Filed May 29, 19252 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 29 1926. 1,590,735

A. CHIARELLI PROPELLING MECHANISM FOR AIR NAVIGATORS Filed May 29 1925IHHHI'IIIHIIIII'I'I llllllllllll mum:

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Patented June 29, 1926.

PATENT OFFICE.

ANTONIO CHIARELLI, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

7 PROPEL'LING MECHANISM FOR AIR NAVIGATORS.

Application filed May 29, 1925. Serial No. 33,615.

This invention relates to improvements in the art of aerial navigation,particularly to means which may equally well be used to propel andmanoeuvre lighter than air and heavier than air craft, such asdirigibles, balloons, aeroplanes, or the like.

The new propelling and manoeuvring system can also be applied to'marinecraft and vehicles to be operated on land.

It is the principal object of the invention to] provide a novelpropelling and manoeuvring system for air craft of all descriptionsallowing a ready change in the direction of flight, in the deviationfrom the horizontal, and greatly facilitating landing and ascendingoperations.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a propelling andmanoeuvring system for aerial and other craft including a plurality ofmotors, each of which can be coupled or uncoupled from the others, ifrepairs, etc., require this.

A. still further object of the invention is the provision of a novelpropelling and manoeuvring system for air craft, or the like, equippedwith sliding Wings and a plurality of motors for operating the same,which are encased in a common carrier of trapezoid form or a skeletonframe to which cars or gas bags, etc., of substantially cigar shape maybe attached or suspended therefrom.

The invention also embraces means for manoeuvring the propellers tosteer the air craft, and means for allowing a change in the elevation.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will become morefully known as the description thereof proceeds, and will then bespecifically defined in the appended claims. I

In the accompanying drawing forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an airship constructed according to thepresent invention.

.Fig. 2 is an end-view thereof.

Fig. Sis a diagrammatic View of the arrangement and construction of thepropelling means and their operating elements.

Fig. 4: is a fragmentary sectional view on line 4-4 of Figure 3. 1

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of an air-ship constructed according to thepresent invention.

Fig. 6 is a sectional side elevation of the propelling means on anenlarged scale.

Fig, 7 is a plan view of the operating machinery.

Fig. 8 is a modification illustrating the employment of the improvedpropelling and manoeuvring means to a lighter than air balloon.

'As shown in Figures 1 and 2, as one example ,of executing the inventionin practice, the body 10 of an air-ship of suitable material and shape,is adapted to contain the operating machinery and has attached thereto anose 11 and tail 11 in the form of air or gas filled balloonettes havingpointed outer ends.

To the body 10 a plurality of cabins 12 and 13, having windows 14:, areattached or suspended therefrom, laterally disposed to said body andhaving a substantially cigarshape such as for instance, used in theconstruction of air-ships of the Zeppelin type. The air-ship is equippedwith a plurality of motors 15 which can be coupled to the propellershaft 16 by suitable couplings 17 adapted to be operated by suitableshifting levers 18. i Y

The propeller shafts rotates drums '19 about ball bearings 20, to whichthe shaft 23 is eccentrically arranged, said bearings having attachedthereto a propeller wing or blade 21 extending out of the drum 19v andhaving a curved extreme outer end.

This wing or blade is slidably guided through an opening in the drum onbearings 22 and extends more or less, out 'of the drums during theeccentric displacement of the element carrying the wing about the shafts23. The outer ends of shafts 23, within shafts 16, extending from itseccentric collar 24:

and journally projecting or pivoted into drums 19, carry gears 25 inmesh with a rack 26 secured to the frame or body 10 by brackets 27. V p

The steering is effected by means of a pair of hand wheels 28 and 29, ona transverse shaft 30, the outer ends of which are in engagement withthe racks 26, while a coupling consisting ofthe members 31 and 32,allows a coupling of both wheels, if the ship is to be propelled in astraight forward,

backward, upward or downward direction.

The deviations from the horizontal are controlled by a motor 33 carryingwing drums and wings 34 and 35, of the above de scribed constructionhaving movable shafts carrying gears, at their outer ends in engagementwith the racks 36 and 37.

The entire structure standing under the influence of a solenoid 38 whichis operated by floats 39 in a water containing conduit 40, provided atboth sides of body 10. y

The acks can each be displaced by the operation of hand wheels 41 onshafts 4.2.

A rudder 43 can be used in the ordinary well-known manner to assist thesteering of the craft by means of the propellers As shown in Figure 8, aballoon n having a gondola 45 attached thereto, has mounted ontop of ita skeleton, a frame 46 carrying the motor at and on the shafts 48thereof. Outside of the frame 46, the propeller drums and wings a9 and50 are mounted. I

The shafts 51 thereof, are journaled, or pivoted in the drums in theabove described manner, and carry gears 52 attached thereto in mesh withgears 53 on a shaft 54- on which is also secured abevel gear 55 in meshwith a bevel gear56 on a vertical shaft 57 carrying at its lower end inthe gondola, suitable operating means.

The device operates as follows:

Upon the starting of the motors with the coupling members 31 and 32coupled, the craft will be propelled forward,- backward, upward anddownward in a straight line according to the direction of flight. If asteering at a deviation from the straight line is desired, the rudder 43is thrown into its appropriate position and the members 31 and 32 areuncoupled, while the racks are given the desired and appropriateinclination to the body by the operation of shafts 42 by hand whecls41,as their rear ends are en gaged with said racks. On account of thecushioned arrangement, of the gear shafts 23, these shafts will turn inthe corresponding direction. H

A deviation from the horizontal either at the frontcor the rear of thecraft is efiected by the proper energization of solenoid 38' which maybe controlled at will or by the floats 39 in the water contained inconduits 40. which shift the center of gravity to one or the otherdirection.

It-will be clear that a'ir craft equipped w-i'thmy novel propelling andmanoeuvring system can be steered and propelled in a suitable manner.

It is to be understood that the oar-shaped propeller wings sliding inand outof their a respective drums, will act on the air or water toconcentrate the propelling drivingforce wherever most desirableandrequired;

An ascent and landing will be quickly and I easily effected by acorresponding manipt solenoid.

If any of the motors goes dead and needs repairing this can quickly bedone without interruption of the flight by operation of the respectiveclutch to cut the motor out of engagement with the other motors.

While I have shown a body having a trapezoid form, it will be clear thatany other suitable form may be used. The passenger carriers may also beused as freight, mail, etc., carriers, especially when used incombination with bags filled with helium gas.

My device may be equipped with the usual elevators and other equipmentwhich are generally used for propelling air-ships.

\Vhile I have illustrated and described one example of the many ways toconstruct my novel propelling and manoeuvring system, it will be clearthat I may use individual mechanism to manipulate each propeller andthat such changes may be made in the general arrangement and in thespecific construction of the minor details, as fall within the scope ofthe appended claims without departure from the principle involved.

Having'thus'described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letter Patent, is:

1. A propelling and manoeuvring system i for airshi as com arisin a traezoid bod a gas bag in front and rear of said body, a

aluralit of assen er and frei ht carriers, 1 y c: 8

supported by said body, a fplurality of motors in said body, means orcoupling and uncoupling any of said motors from the others, a pluralityof drums in the shafts of said motors, a wing in eachdrum adapted toslide out and into said drum, gear shafts j ournaled in the drum, andmeans for allowing a displacement of these last shafts in one and theother'direction to steer the craft at any desired angle to thehorizontal, and a means for carrying a load attached to said body, I 2.In a propelling and manoeuvring system for air craft, a shaft, aplurality of drums attached to the same, a ball bearing in each of saiddrums eccentrically arranged to said shaft, a gear shaft, an eccentriccollar on said gear shaft, means for journalin said gear shaft, and apropeller blade on said eccentric collar adapted to slide out of andinto its drum, and a means for allowing a steering of the craft by saidpropeller wings.

3. In an air craftpropelling and manoeuvring system, a plurality ofmotors, couplings to maple and uncouple any oneof said motors from theothers, means for operating said couplings, shafts connected to saidmotors, drums on said shafts a wing in each drum adapted to move out andinto the same, journaled shafts in said drums, outer shafts, gears onthe outer ends of said outer shafts, racks with which said gears are inmesh, and means for displacing said racks for allowing a steering of theair craft in one or the other inclination to the vertical in ahorizontal plane.

4. In an air craft propelling and manoeuvring system, a plurality ofmotors, propellers on each side of the craft, journaled displaoeableshafts for said propellers, and means for displacing said propellers inone and the other direction for steering the craft, a rudder forassisting in the propeller steering, and a means for connecting thepropellers on both sides of the craft to as- Tist the steering by therudder in a straight 5. In an air craft propelling and manoeuvringsystem, a body, water conduits on said body, floats in said conduits, asolenoid actuated by said floats to shift the center of gravity, and amotor and propeller wings for allowing a steering of the craft'at anii-ngle to the horizontal toward above or be- 6. In a balloon having agondola suspended from its skeleton, a frame carried at the top of saidskeleton, a shaft journaled in said frame, a motor driving said shaft,drums driven by said motor propeller wings rotated by said drums forpropelling said balloons, and a means for allowing a steerin of the sameby said propeller.

l. In a balloon having a gondola suspended from its skeleton, a framecarried at the top of said skeleton, a motor having its shaft journaledin said frame, drums on said shaft, a propeller wing in each drumsliding into and out of the same, 'journaled shaft therein,eccentrically displaced, gears on the extreme outer ends of saidlast-named shaft, and a means for allowing a steering of said balloon bysaid propellers.

8. A propelling and manoeuvring system for air craft, comprising atrapezoid skeleton frame, two gas bags having pointed outer ends securedto said frame, a pair of cabins suspended from said frame havingwindows, a system of propellers in said frame, couplings for allowing acoupling and uncoupling of any of the motors of the system from the restthereof, levers for the operating of said couplings, a pair of rackbars, supports on said frame on which said rack bars are normallysupported, a plurality of the propeller wings operated from said motorsto drive the craft in any direction, and means for allowing anengagement of said rack to displace the propellers in any direction tosteer the craft.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

ANTONIO CHIARELLI.

